A small group of residents in the Towers at Laguna Woods Village might have the best handwriting in the community.

Every Monday at 1 p.m., Edie Jaffe, Steve Handelman and Harriet Fillmore go the library to write letters. Each of them sits at a small wooden table ready to write personalized, heartfelt messages to active military and veterans.

“We don’t do enough for them,” Jaffe, in her 90s, said. “Our country is failing them, so somebody has to do something. It’s my way of giving back.”

The three write about 100 letters per week, with a total of nearly 5,000 letters per year, which are delivered to deployed troops, new recruits, wounded warriors and veterans.

“I’m glad you decided to join the armed forces,” said Fillmore, 88, reading from a letter she just wrote to a new recruit. “Your decision to join in keeping us safe and sound is greatly appreciated. Best wishes to you.”

“I always put hugs and kisses too,” she added, displaying small Xs and Os on the inside of her card.

The letters go to a larger organization called Operation Gratitude, which puts them inside bigger packages to be delivered by the organization. The packages include small gifts and practical items.

The hand-written letters add a personal touch, Jaffe said.

“They know we’re thinking about them and they’re not deserted in any way; our thoughts are there,” she said. “They love getting it, they feel very isolated but then they get their package and their letter.”

The group in Laguna Woods started nearly two years ago, when Towers Activities Director Kristen Orr and Resident Services Coordinator Chelsea Sullivan wanted to find a new activities for residents.

Since its start, other people have written letters, but Jaffe, Handelman and Fillmore are the core team, Sullivan said. Rain or shine, the three come to write for an hour every Monday, and they also write from home.

“I think it’s recognizing (the troops) and showing how much we admire and respect them,” Handelman, 61, said.

Each of the core team has family who had served in the military, ranging from WWII to Vietnam. During and after WWII, Fillmore and Jaffe were volunteers at veterans hospitals.

“There weren’t any men left; every man was gone — your uncles, your cousins, your neighbors,” Fillmore said. “So it sticks in your mind that we’re free and we’ve been lucky enough to reach this age because of the dedication of the servicemen all of these years.”